 Poster: A snowHead
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I've been interested in this for a while, and my interest was only piqued further when a friend of mine in the UK qualified as an instructor, but until now it's been so rare here that you would have to go into the city for private lesson at CHF lots/hour which I wasn't prepared to pay on a trial basis. However, a returnee from Canada is starting classes in our village, with a trial session, so I've signed up and I'm made up about it. I'm doing it regardless as it will be good all year round, especially given the number of hours I spend at a computer, but how much help do you think it will be for skiing fitness?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't know about Pilates, but I skied with a 50yr old lady yoga teacher last year and she was v v fit. Made me think about swapping the gym for yoga, but never got round to it this year. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Not an expert but I think pilates will greatly help with your core strength & stability & of course your general fitness. I do several pilates stretches as part of my general trying to keep /get fit routines. You should enjoy the classes!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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There is a poster on Epic, who is a fitness instructor and raves about Pilates as a preparation for skiing (mainly core strenght as Cathy Coins, stated).
BOD, don't know about yoga. I think yoga tends to over focus on joints flexibility and muscle stamina when in fact skiing demands power and stability (muscle and joint). Having too soft and flexible joints is not a good thing for skiing/
Do not judge a trainig method after seeing one practitioner. He might be extremly gifted and in fact, his skiing might be hindered by yoga (even if he is still a v. good skier)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Pilates is great, and ideal for ski-ing, but not for "fitness" in the sense of aerobic fitness, so you need to supplement it with something aerobic.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We just did the Warren Smith Academy out in Verbier and were 'treated' to a pilates session one evening by a girl who was looking at setting up out there. Not as easy as it looks! But, definately works on core fitness and some of the stretches were very relevent to the new types of abuse we put our body through. It sounds as though it could even be Penny you're off to see... good luck!
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eng_ch, been away on holiday and just saw this.
Been taking pilates classes (1 a week) for rowing for a while now. Best thing going for core strength.
A good instructor focuses a lot on posture and propriaception i.e. teaching you to recognise how your body feels during action when all limbs are properly balanced in relation to eachother. Which is vital for good skiing (and rowing).
Not sure what you guys mean by "strectches" - the stuff I'm taught focuses on strengthening (stretching only to facilitate good posture).
As pam w mentions, pilates is strength fitness. Good sporting "fitness" requires a balance of cardio exercise as well.
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Had the first free Pilates session on Saturday and I felt so good afterwards! I felt about 2 inches taller! Actually it was quite gratifying, it seems my middle is stronger than I thought. People tend to laugh when I say playing the saxophone and violin are good exercise - I don't know why, they use diaphragmatic breathing, increased lung capacity, shoulder muscles, back muscles, abdominal muscles, dare I suggest even a little bit of cardio? And can I also add they train rhythm, timing and co-ordination - all of which translate to skiing
Last edited by After all it is free  on Mon 9-01-06 17:11; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I did eight months of core strength training as part of a wider programme last year, and the benefits have been huge. Some of what I did shares exercises in common with yoga and pilates, though wasn't yoga or pilates.
I started out as someone that could comfortably bench press 90kg, easily knock out 50 incline press-ups, 100 crunches and so on, but I was then introduced to planks, the Swiss ball, and Turkish Get-ups. Oh the pain! I realised that weights are not necessary to get, and stay, strong. I now feel healthier and stronger, and I walk taller because my posture has improved.
At the end of the day, any exercise is better than no exercise, and if you enjoy pilates, do it. It ain't for me, though.
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